Contents

1. Pirates on Tap for June Dine-out
2. First-Ever Master Vegetarian Program Starts in September
3. VegFest Attracts Record Crowd to Explore Compassionate Choices
4. Seeking an Eastside Potluck Venue
5. Author of World Peace Diet to Speak at June Potluck
6. Potluck Picnic on July 4th to Include All the Fun Without Meat
7. Volunteer Needs Include July 4 Picnic and Volunteer Coordinator Position
8. Members to Receive Ballots to Elect Board Members
9. Easy Bike Rides Planned Throughout the Summer
10. Tennis and Tofu, Anyone?
11. Veg & Veg-Friendly Events Near and Far May Be Worth Your Travel Time
12. Home Screenings of Earthlings Offered in June and July

Pirates on Tap for June Dine-out

Each month Northwest VEG selects a restaurant where members and friends gather to enjoy exclusively vegetarian fare. This month, on June 9 at 5:30 pm, we’ll meet at Pirates Tavern, 2839 NW St. Helens Rd., Portland. Unique dishes include "chicken" cattiatore, beer batter "fish" 'n' chips, tempeh Reubens, and Salisbury "Steak." Organic beers/wine. Please bring cash to simplify the settling of the bill. To RSVP, contact Andre at vegdineout@gmail.com or (503) 224-7380 (message phone) by June 6. Seating is limited to the first 24 to RSVP.

First-Ever Master Vegetarian Program Starts in September

Northwest VEG and People's Food Co-op will be sponsoring a pilot Master Vegetarian Program this fall. Patterned after the successful Master Recycler and Master Gardener programs, the Master Vegetarian Program will offer weekly classes on eight consecutive Tuesday evenings starting Sept. 18 covering all aspects of a vegetarian lifestyle. Following an introduction and overview of the program, classes will look at environmental aspects of diet choices, vegetarian nutrition, effects of diet on health and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, animal behavior and the treatment of farm animals, organic agriculture, philosophical and religious aspects of diet and animal treatment, healthy eating and cooking practices. Knowledgeable guest instructors will teach each class. Two field trips will be included in the course.

The Master Vegetarian Program is aimed at people who want to find out how food choices affect our health, the environment, and our relationship with animals—and how to incorporate this learning into their daily lives. Cost for the series will be $50, or $25 for students or those on low income. Attendees will be expected to contribute 16 volunteer hours to a nonprofit organization that concerns itself with one or more of the issues discussed in the course. A Master Vegetarian Certificate will be offered to those who complete the classes and the volunteer hours.

Registration in the Master Vegetarian Program will start June 14 and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to express interest in registering, contact Susan Hanson at susan@nwveg.org, or leave a message at (503) 224-7380 with your name and contact information.

Seeking an Eastside Potluck Venue

Northwest VEG is in search of a welcoming facility with a kitchen for Northwest VEG Eastside potlucks on most odd-numbered months. Our longtime venue, the Multnomah Friends Meeting Hall on SE Stark, is currently undergoing a renovation and is unavailable; and we’ve grown a little too large to comfortably meet there. Conversely, our temporary home at Trinity United Methodist is too large and expensive—and it’s not available for the July 15 potluck. If anyone has ideas for a suitable church hall or other meeting place close in on the eastside that can accommodate 75 people, please contact jill@nwveg.org. Ideally, the venue would be very convenient to public transportation.

Potluck Picnic on July 4th to Include All the Fun Without Meat

A Northwest VEG potluck picnic will celebrate the spirit of independence without any meat—only delicious, cruelty-free food. We'll meet at 1 pm on July 4 at Raleigh Park, SW 78th Avenue between the Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. (bus 54) and Canyon Road (bus 58). The picnic will last until 5 pm.

Bring your favorite vegan (no eggs, dairy products or other animal-derived ingredients) or vegetarian (no meat, fish) dish, enough to share for 4 people for every member in your party — and we'll supply drinks. Please bring a card listing the ingredients of your dish and plates and utensils for your use. Get ready for croquet and bocce ball. Bring other lawn games! We have reserved a number of picnic tables, but you may want to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Don't forget your tennis racquet, if you play. A swimming pool at the park is available for a few dollars per person.

Volunteer Needs Include July 4 Picnic and Volunteer Coordinator Position

If you can volunteer at the July 4 potluck picnic, there are a few positions that need to be filled. We need a games coordinator (2 - 5pm), help with set-up (11:30am - 1 pm), and help with clean-up (5 - 6pm); please contact Maggie at volunteer@nwveg.org or (503) 493-2358.

We also are in need of a new Volunteer Coordinator, for Maggie Raczek (pictured) is stepping down after more than 3 years in this essential position. Maggie’s outstanding efforts have included filling the slots for every potluck, managing the recruitment of scores of volunteers for three VegFests, and assigning volunteers to our information tables at numerous community events. The Volunteer Coordinator is the main contact for general and specific volunteer inquiries, communicating by email and phone to describe and fill volunteer needs. S/he attends potlucks and board meetings often to stay in the informational loop and meet new and old volunteers. S/he communicates with the webmaster and newsletter editors to announce upcoming volunteer needs. Sometimes other volunteers assist the Coordinator to contact volunteers at times of large events or when several activities coincide. To discuss this volunteer opportunity, contact Maggie at volunteer@nwveg.org or (503) 493-2358.

Easy Bike Rides Planned Throughout the Summer

Join a small group of Northwest VEG and OrganicAthlete members for a fun, slow-paced group bike ride. The distance is 20 miles or less, with a rest stop around the halfway point. The ride route is left open to match the ride to the skill level of the riders. The stops are usually at a coffee shop that has vegan options. Meet at the Hawthorne Bridge Fire Station, under the east side of the Hawthorne Bridge. If you have any questions, or suggestions for routes or stops please contact portland@organicathlete.org.

The rides will take place on the following dates:
June 9 (Saturday), 10 am
June 24 (Sunday), 10 am
July 14 (Saturday), 10 am
July 22 (Sunday), 10 am
Aug. 11 (Saturday), 10 am
Aug. 26 (Sunday), 10 am

Members to Receive Ballots to Elect Board Members

Each current member of Northwest VEG will receive a ballot in early June with instructions on electing board members. Those elected serve a 2-year term beginning July 1, 2007. A Nominating Committee recently solicited several potential candidates. Five qualified members have accepted to be on the ballot, and they will all run unopposed. Three of these candidates are currently on the board with terms expiring June 30. These include President Peter Spendelow, Treasurer Linda Sant'Angelo, and Membership Coordinator Jill Schatz. Another candidate is Robert Cheeke who was appointed to the board in February. Rounding out the slate of candidates is Barrett McInnis. The ballot instructions will include a personal statement by each candidate addressing his or her qualifications and interests.

1. Your skill level as either beginner, intermediate or advanced. Feel free to add more description here.
2. Whether you would prefer to play with other men, women, or either—and if you prefer to meet players within a certain age range.
3. Whether you prefer singles, doubles or either.
4. Your email address and/or phone number.

Home Screenings of Earthlings Offered in June and July

After Jan van Raay saw the documentary film Earthlings, life wasn’t quite the same. This is an excerpt from an article published in the latest issue of Herbivore Magazine:

Earthlings is a feature length documentary about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called "non-human providers."

Steeling myself for the horrors I knew I would witness, I made the determination to see the film in its entirety. Enough was enough. I felt powerless to abstain from the last vestiges of my omnivore addictions. I watched Earthlings in one sitting and the following morning it was crystal clear what had to be done. I had to offer this film to everyone I knew. Notice I used the word “offer.” I was not going to beat people over the head with this.

My house is small and my TV is a merciful 15 inches—easier to watch the images in small format I reasoned. I started talking the film up to friends and acquaintances, saying I was very surprised I knew so little, but not withholding the fact that the film contained graphic images. I decided to hold small screenings at my home for 4 to 6 people at a time. The first night four people came: one a hunter, one a 74-year-old retiree, and two female friends, an educational specialist and a dental technician. The film would be shown in the den. I carefully selected six CDs of relaxing music to be playing in the living room where candles burned. When my guests arrived we relaxed for a while, had some snacks and I told them that while watching the film, if they wanted to leave or just chill out in the living room to feel free to do so—no explanation necessary.

I sat with them, watching the film myself for a second time. Everyone stayed. One of the women became verbally angry throughout the screening and left as soon as it was over. The rest of us sat in the living room for a while afterward. The second woman said she needed time to process all of this new information, but asked if we could get together again with others who had seen the film, to have a discussion. The hunter said that he believed the film clips were all isolated incidents and not common. The retiree said he wasn’t going to change his ways. It’s interesting that the woman who left immediately has now fully embraced the vegan way of life and even came with me to the awesome Vegan Holiday Fair at Lincoln High School in Portland (November 2006).

Jan invites others to arrange a time to see Earthlings in her home this June and July. She can be contacted at jvanraay@hotmail.com with "Earthlings" in the subject line. Her full article on Earthlings can be found in Issue #13 of Herbivore, for sale on its website or in local stores: www.herbivoreclothing.com/magazine.page.html.

The Northwest VEG E-Bits is published via email around the first of every even-numbered month. If you would like to contribute to E-bits, or if you have any feedback, please contact Charley Korns, Editor, at charley@nwveg.org.